Bi-fold door structure



May 28, 1968 (5. M. ANDREWS EI-FOLD DOOR STRUCTURE Filed March 10. 1966 4 WM .Ll 4 I 2 J W Illa! II m 7 4 m 2 2 7 3 3 Z 2 5 I 5 2 2 4 4 7 n 1 2 3 I 8 I I 4 l 4 n I r In lll b "T IHTILHI l M I 1 7 2 2 W. I 5 I u a w 2 I o 7 o 2 7 ll] 2 2 I 4 9. E o L l I! (L FIG. 2

INVENTOR. GEORGE M. ANDREWS.

ATTORNEY? United States Patent 3,385,344 BI-FOLD DOOR STRUCTURE George M. Andrews, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Leigh Products, Inc., Cooperville, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 533,290 2 Claims. (Cl. 160-206) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bi-fold door structure incorporating a bowed spring engaging door panels of a pair intermediate the thickness of the panels and adjacent the hinge joint, the spring being under tension to exert pressure on the panels in a direction toward the joint therebetween.

Brief summary of the invention The invention has to do with means for yieldingly maintaining the panels in bi-fold doors in closed position, or open position. The invention consists of a bowed leaf spring, the ends of which are interlocked with a pair of adjacent door panels. The spring spans the joint between the panels of the pair, with the concave side of the spring confronting the joint between the panels. The ends of the spring are interlocked with the panels intermediate the thickness thereof. The spring is under tension whereby the spring exerts a pressure on the panels in a direction toward the joint between the panels. Accordingly, when the panels are in close linear relationship, the spring resists movement of the panels about their hinge joint due to the fact that the ends of the spring are connected to the panels within the thickness thereof. When the panels are moved about their hinge joint into acute angular position, the engagement between the ends of the spring and the panels has moved to the oppositeside of the hinge pintle, whereby the panels are yieldingly maintained in open position.

This invention relates to bi-fold door structures, said structures include at least one pair of panel members which are hinged together along their vertical edges. One panel member is provided adjacent its free vertical edge with pintle pins extending from its top and bottom edges. The second panel is provided at its top and bottom edges with rollers movable in tracks fixedly mounted at the top and bottom of the door opening. With this arrangement the panels, when in fiat co-planar relation, form a closure for the door opening. When the panels of the pair are moved about the pintle support of the first panel, the rollers of the second panel, and both panels about the hinge joint, the panels move from fiat co-planar relation to an acute angle relation to open position.

In such arrangements, it has been customary to provide a rubber bumper engaged by the second panel, when the panels are in co-planar closed position, to establish some force on the panels to retain them in closed position. This arrangement requires an initial precise location of the rubber bumper in order to effect the required pressure on the panels when they are moved to closed position. After the door structure has been installed for a period of time, the rubber bumpers change in dimension, or resiliency, with the result that they do not exert sufficient pressure on the panels in closed position to maintain them in that position. This requires re-adjustment of the bumpers.

The initial and subsequent adjustment of the rubber bumpers, in addition to being annoying to a house owner, is not an easy task.

This invention has as an object a bi-fold door structure embodying an arrangement which functions to consistent ly exert a uniform pressure on the door panels when they are moved to co-planar closed position, whereby 3,385,344 Patented May 28, 1968 they are maintained in that position, in like manner, when the bi-fold door panels are moved to open position, they are maintained in that position.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings- FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the inner side of a bi-fold door structure embodying my invention, with the door panels being shown in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on line 22, FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view, similar to FIGURE 2, showing the door panels moved to open position.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44, FIGURE 1.

In the illustration of the door opening in FIGURE 1, the sides, or jams, of the opening are indicated at 10, the top or header of the opening at 11, and the bottom of the opening at 12. A track 13 is fixedly mounted at the top of the opening, and a track 14 at the bottom thereof. The door structure includes a pair of panels 15, 16, joined along their vertical edges by a hinge joint including hinges 18. The panel 15 is provided with pintle pins 20 extending from its upper and lower edges into the track members 13, 14. The pintles 20 are located in spaced relation to the hinge joint, indicated by the line 21.

The panel 16 is provided with pins 23 extending from its upper and lower edges and provided with rollers movable in the upper and lower tracks 13, 14. In the preferred form, the panels 15, 16, include a rectangular framework having vertically disposed side members 24, and cross members 25. The members 24, 25, are of rectangular tubular formation, see FIGURES 2. and 3, and are connected together at the corners of the panels by gusset members 27. For a more detailed disclosure of the structural arrangement of the panels and the mounting thereof, reference may be had to the co-pending application of G. M. Andrews and C. W. Gibson, Ser. No. 414,676, filed Nov. 30, 1964.

The tubular side members 24, at each side of the hinge joint 21, are formed with apertures 30, these apertures being located within the thickness of the panels-that is, intermediate the inner and outer side surfaces thereof. The hinges 18 are mounted on the inner side surfaces of the panels, so that the hinge pintle 33 is located at the inner side surface of the panels.

A U-shaped spring member 35 is connected to the panels 15, 16. The spring member spans the hinge joint 21 and is arranged in confronting relation thereto. The spring 35 is formed at its ends with inwardly bent tang portions 37 extending into the apertures 30.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it will be apparent that the spring 35 exerts a yielding pressure against the panels 15, 16, toward the hinge joint, and that this pressure is applied at one side of the hinge pintle 33. With the panels in the closed co-planar position, shown in FIGURE 2, this yielding pressure is applied to the panels outwardly of the hinge joint pintles 33, and is effective to maintain the panels in the closed relationship.

When the panels at the hinge joint 21 are moved outwardly to effect pivotal movement of the panel 15 about the pintle pins 20, and pivotal movement of the panel 16 about the roller pins 23, the panels are moved toward the acute angle position shown in FIGURE 3, and with this movement the ends 37 of the spring, engaging the panel, or the tubular side members 24, is moved inwardly of the hinge pintles 33 and accordingly, the spring 35 exerts a pressure on the panels to yieldingly maintain them in this open angular relationship.

Accordingly, the spring 35 yieldingly maintains the panels 15, 16, in closed co-planar relationship and, when the door panels are moved to open position, the spring yieldiugly maintains the panels in that position. Accordingly, adjustable stops, as in the form of the rubber bumpers previously mentioned, are not necessary and the spring 35 never needs any adjustment.

What I claim is:

1. A bi-fold door structure for a door opening comprising upper and lower track members fixedly mounted at the top and bottom of the door opening and extending between the sides thereof, first and second panel members connected together along their vertical edges by a hinge joint, said first panel being provided with vertically aligned pintle pins extending from the upper and lower edges of the panel in spaced relation to said hinge joint, said pintle pins extending into said tracks and forming means for pivotally mounting said first panel in said opening, said second panel being provided at its upper and lower edges with vertically aligned rollers in spaced relation to said hinge joint and movable along said upper and lower tracks, all whereby said first and second panels are movable from a co-planar closed relation to an acute angle open relation, the axis of said hinge joint being located at one side surface of said panels, a U-shaped spring member spanning said hinge joint in confronting relation thereto, the ends of said spring member being fixed to said 4 1 panels intermediate the side surfaces thereof, said spring member being operable to exert yielding pressure on said panels toward the joint therebetween to yieldingly restrain movement of said panels about said hinge joint.

2. A bi-fold door structure, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said panels are formed with apertures adjacent said hinge joint at opposite sides thereof, and located intermediate the side surfaces of the panels, and the ends of said spring member are formed with inwardly bent portions extending into said apertures.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 57,240 8/1866 Wiswall 16-73 1,381,744 6/1921 Riggs 160-199 2,514,033 7/1950 Dean 16 73 2,943,675 7/1960 Ford 160-206 3,116,782 1/1964 Rudnick 160-206 X 3,170,506 2/ 1965 Johnson 160-206 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,705 5/1940 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Examiner. 

